Identifying Which Web Site and Application Components to Migrate

Updated: August 22, 2005

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

Before you begin the migration, identify the components that comprise the Web sites and applications. In addition to identifying the components, you must determine if there are any special circumstances associated with migrating these components. This Web site and application component migration is in addition to the Web site content and configuration that needs to also be migrated.

If you have setup, installation, or provisioning scripts for these Web sites and applications, you can use them to help you identify the components. If no setup, installation, or provisioning scripts exist, you must identify the Web site and application components manually.

Table 6.1 illustrates common application components that require a specific action when migrating to IIS 6.0.

Table 6.1 Migration Issues Associated with IIS Web Site Components

MTS, COM, and COM+ provide object-oriented access to business logic and other data in n-tier applications.

MTS packages and COM+ applications need to be re-created in COM+ on the target server. COM objects that are registered on the source server need to be reregistered on the target server.

In some cases, you might need to modify the MTS packages, COM objects, and COM+ applications, to make them compatible with Windows Server 2003 and IIS 6.0.

Registry entries

These entries are custom registry entries that are required by the application.

Applications might save custom configuration information in the Windows registry. The registry entries must be identified and then re-created on the target server.

Data source names (DSN) data connection strings

DSN data connection strings are used to provide connectivity to databases for IIS Web sites.

The DSNs might need to be modified on the target server for each of the Web sites and applications that access databases.

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data connections

ODBC data connections are used to provide connectivity to databases for IIS Web sites.

The ODBC settings might need to be configured on the target server for each of the Web sites and applications that use ODBC to access databases.

Internet Server API (ISAPI) applications

ISAPI applications are DLLs that are called by Web sites and applications. There are ISAPI applications (ISAPI extensions) that are shipped with IIS 6.0, such as the ASP.NET ISAPI extension. In addition, your Web sites and applications might rely on ISAPI applications written by your organization.

The ISAPI application must be installed on the target server and then enabled from the Web services extensions node in IIS Manager. In some cases, you might need to modify the ISAPI application to make it compatible with IIS 6.0 and Windows Server 2003.

SSL Server Certificates

SSL server certificates are installed on the server and they enable encrypted communications with clients

Certificates must be copied to, or re-created on, the target computer

Custom user and group accounts

User and group accounts that are created specifically for the Web sites and applications.

If the user and group accounts are local to the source server, the user and group accounts need to be created on the target server.

Additional software

Additional software refers to installed commercial software and applications required by the applications on your server.

This additional software must be installed on the target server. This software might require modification to be compatible with Windows Server 2003 and IIS 6.0.